Only Time Will Tell
by ladynoirshipper
Summary: Adrien is frustrated that his relationship with Ladybug isn't going anywhere. But when a shy girl in his class starts opening up, he might finally have the courage to move on. MariChat, LadyNoir, Adrienette, you know. The usual. Leaning mainly towards Adrienette. Rated T for some mild language.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! Ladynoirshipper here, this is my first fanfic :) hope you enjoy! R &R**

 **I do not own miraculous ladybug.**

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 **Chapter One: Marinette POV**

It was almost _liberating,_ the feeling she got every night as she climbed out of her window onto the terrace above her room. The cold night air filling her lungs, a bright red spotted mask across her face. Life as Marinette was good; she couldn't deny that. But as Ladybug, she could go anywhere. Paris's greatest superhero had a freedom that the young fashion designer did not.

Marinette sighed and pulled out her yoyo.

It was another late night for a patrol with Chat Noir. She liked to just swing around and keep the city safe, but Chat insisted on pestering her with his constant flirts. _What an idiot,_ she thought to herself as she swung over a tall building.

But lately, he had been quiet, keeping to himself more. Not that his puns and flirts had stopped completely. Of course they didn't. Now that would be something _truly_ miraculous. But Marinette did notice a more sincere approach to conversation between the two. He would often be caught staring at her eyes in a very peculiar way.

She wished she could understand that cat, she thought as she landed at their usual meeting spot. Marinette looked around for her partner, and then realized she was early, but Ladybug was always a little early, whether it be during the weekly patrol or an akuma attack.

"Thinking about me?" taunted a voice from behind her. A black cat with ruffled blond hair and bright green eyes flicked his tail behind him.

"Keep dreaming, Chat, if that's what makes you happy," she retorted.

"My lady! You wound me!" He said, jokingly holding his chest as if he had been stabbed.

Marinette laughed, a clear laugh that cut through the night air. She turned around to face her partner. _He's got that look again._ It would take some time, but she knew it was her job as Chat's partner, and as his friend to figure out why he looked so...sad.

But before she could interrogate him, he interrupted her thoughts. "Ladybug, I hope we can finish tonight's patrol a bit early, seeing as I have a test tomorrow morning."

What a coincidence. Marinette had one too. She nodded briefly, adding on, "That's alright. I say we split up. I'll take to patrolling the west side, and you can work on the east side of the city. Sound good?"

"Any plan is a good one if it was yours, my lady." Ladybug rolled her eyes, but he sounded suspiciously sincere. Huh.

"Whatever you say, mon chaton." said Marinette. "One last thing, Chat..."

"Yeah?"

"I..." Ladybug looked long and hard at her partner, trying to figure out a way to ask him what was going on, if he was alright or not. But the courage to do so was just out of reach. "Never mind."

"Goodnight, my lady..." Chat Noir called into the night, plunging off of the nearest building into the darkness, extending his glinting staff off into the east, where the sun rose.

 _What was up with that?_ Marinette scolded herself, for being unable to talk to her partner about something so simple as being curious about his behavior. That was all she needed to say, and yet the words left her when she needed them most.

Could it have been that she was nervous? Around Chat? She brushed the thought out of her mind. In a last attempt to distract herself from the problem, she began to patrol the streets of Paris, only pausing briefly to admire Adrien's house. She smiled to herself, knowing that Adrien was a huge Ladybug fan himself. Maybe if she paid him a little visit...but his lights were out and he was probably sleeping. She wanted him well rested for that big physics exam.

Crap! The exam! She had to finish this patrol and get home for some last minute studying!

Marinette finished her roundabouts in the city, uneventfully, and arrived home just in time. She would have room in her schedule for a bit of studying and a full night's sleep.

For some reason, though, she had the distinct feeling she was going to be late again for school tomorrow. She wondered why...

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 **Alright that's the first chapter! Didn't know how to end it, but...oh well. Let me know what you think and please follow this story...I'll try to update as frequently as I can but I'm not quite sure how long it will take (again, first fanfic).**

 **Thanks for reading :) byeeee**


	2. Chapter 2

**Ladynoirshipper back with a chapter two! Big shout out to everyone who followed and/or favorited. I also love the reviews! Thank you all for your continued support, I really hope you enjoy this chapter.**

 **I feel like I might have made a few mistakes. Feel free to correct and/or leave some pointers for my writing. The help is appreciated :)**

 **I do not own miraculous ladybug.**

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 **Chapter Two: Adrien**

That girl was killing him. Chat Noir scuffed his leather boots on the road. He just couldn't get Ladybug out of his mind. And that was precisely the problem. It was getting harder and harder to look into those beautiful blue eyes of hers and know that his lady thought of him as a joke.

He had been in love with her for a while now, but ever since she had disregarded him as a "hopeless flirt" a couple weeks ago during an akuma attack, he wondered if that was all she thought of him as. As if she thought his flirts and confessions were just a way to entertain them on long evenings they would spend together.

Chat might have been extravagant in his professions of love, but he meant every word. Climbing into his window, he quickly detransformed and slid into bed, running his fingers through his hair. How was he going to sleep when he was so distracted by his dilemma with Ladybug? _She'll never truly understand what it is that she does to me._

Adrien sighed into his pillow. Whatever happened, His feelings towards Ladybug always remained the same. At least there was _something_ constant in his life.

He settled in to bed, and sleep overtook his thoughts.

 ** _Fast forward to next morning-_**

"Good morning class. As you all well know, we are going to be having an exam today. If you would all take out a pencil and calculator..." Just then, Marinette stumbled in, carrying all of her books, her pigtails lopsided, and an apologetic smile on her face.

Adrien smiled to himself. What was it with that girl and being late? He heard her muttering something to Alya behind him.

He tore his gaze away from the two, noticing his best friend Nino with a pleading look on his face. "Let me guess. You need a pencil?"

"Thanks dude! You just saved my ass from a failed physics test..." Adrien laughed at that. "Hey, did you study for this?"

"Of course I did. You know my dad. If I fail one test, he'll use it as an excuse to pull me out of school and make me into a full time model." The two were grinning and chatting until they saw the death glare on their teacher's face.

"I'm passing back the tests now. You may begin, and don't forget your formula sheets from last week." The teacher went on with her instructions as Adrien tore through the test.

After lunch, Adrien waked to history with Nino. He walked on his friend's left side. On Nino's right was his girlfriend, Alya, who had her arm slung over Nino's shoulder. On the rigt of Alya stood Marinette, the girl who sat behind him and always seemed kind of on edge in his presence.

It was kind of awkward hanging out with a couple. Adrien figured it would be weird if they both acted as third wheels, so he veered off to the right and stood next to Marinette, hoping to start a conversation with the girl.

"Hi, Marinette," Adrien said.

"O-oh...hey Adrien," Marinette responded, not quite looking back at him, but very close to making eye contact. _Well, I guess it's a start, at least._

"You think you did good on the test?"

"Test? "Marinette looked kind of confused for a second, then looked up and did a face palm. "Oh my god. I don't even know what goes on in here sometimes." She tapped her finger to her temple, and Adrien let out a light laugh. "But yeah, I-I think I did pretty well, how about you?"

She seemed to be letting down her guard a bit, relaxing. "Yeah," Adrien said, wating to keep the conversation going before he ruined it and scared her away again. "The only one I was confused on was number 7, I think. Did you get A or B for that one?"

The talk between the two was pleasant. It only lasted a minute or two more though, before the group arrived in class for history.

"Everybody quiet , now since we've started the new unit on ancient empires, as an introduction to the unit, we'll be working in groups to present information. You may choose your groups for this project, but make sure you pick a group you work well with." As she said this, the four teens sitting together: Marinette, Alya, Nino, and Adrien all looked at each other and grinned.

"Let's split up into groups and get ourselves organized. The project is due next week, and there won't be much time in class to work on it. I advise you to meet amongst yourselves afterschool or on a weekend." The teacher then motioned for them to settle things out.

Nino and Adrien turned in their seats. Nino looked at Alya with his most charming smile. "So, I'd say we make a good team, us four. Wanna work on it together?"

Alya teased him, saying, "I'm not so sure. Mari, what do you think?" Marinette seemed to ponder for a second before scrunching up her nose and shaking her head while Alya giggled.

"What is it, Marinette? Do we smell bad or something?" Adrien said in mock offense.

Alya whispered to Marinette, "I bet you think Adrien smells _great_ ," just loud enough for the blond boy to hear. He smirked confidently, but the smirk was replaced by a confused expression quickly enough when he saw Marinette, eyes wide, face bright red.

"Um...okay. So we'll form a group then?" They all nodded in affirmation. Marinette nodded too, for the most part.

Alya was the one who suggested they all exchange numbers, so that they could better work out the meeting time. "What with Adrien's crazy schedule, we'll need all the help we can get," she said.

Everything was set, and so they went home, Adrien being careful to close the door softly and enter his room as quietly as possible, so not to disturb the eerie silence of the house. It was a nice place and all, but he couldn't wait to get out and work on that project.

Thursday couldn't come soon enough.

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 **Ok first of all, that was a lot longer than last chapter (or was it just me?)**

 **Secondly, I feel like Marinette is a total derp in this story.**

 **I love feedback! Please let me know how you like it...leave a review or follow.**


	3. Chapter 3

**APOLOGIES for the late update. This is kind of embarassing, but I totally forgot my password... Here's the chapter.**

 **Hey its Ladynoirshipper. I wasn't sure if it was too early to put in a MariChat scene, but you know what...it's my favorite part of the love square and I just...love...it...anyways I hope this fit well into the plot. Let me know if you have suggestions on how to work this into the plot a little bit better.**

 **I do not own miraculous ladybug.**

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 **Chapter Three: Marinette POV**

Marinette was spending the night working on her latest fashion design, a beautiful, long skirt covered in floral designs. It was reminiscent of the bright spring flowers popping up all over France. She knew other designers also used a similar style in the spring, and she praised herself for thinking like the greats. _Hopefully someday you'll become_ one of _the greats._

Mari was just finishing up a sketch and adding the dimensions when she saw something from her window. A tall black cat, with blond, shaggy hair.

"Chat," she breathed. But what was he doing out here at this time at night? That's when she heard the tapping noise coming from her window. Then a light mewl. Marinette hesitantly opened the trapdoor, revealing a very handsome but very wet looking stray outside. She hadn't realized it was raining.

"Get inside! You're going to catch a cold if you stand our there for long..." Marinette ran downstairs to get a towel. Nevermind, three.

When she got back, Chat was wiping himself with his paws-no, hands. Those were human hands underneath the gloves, Marinette reminded herself.

"I'm going to get you some hot chocolate or something. And maybe some more towels while I'm at it, for extra measure." When she returned, she draped the towels over him, set one glass of cocoa beside him and sat down with the other. Then she asked, finally, what she should have when he first entered. "What the hell are you doing here, Chat? In the rain and everything, too..."

"I was lonely, Princess."

"Lonely, huh? So you could've gotten hypothermia, or worse, so you could see a teenage girl in her bedroom?"

Chat Noir paused for a moment, then said, "Is that a trick question?"

Marinette couldn't help herself. She laughed out loud. "Alright, kitty, now what do you say I keep you company while you dry off?"

His face brightened. "Oh yes! This is perfect! I've been waiting to try out my puns on someone..." Marinette groaned involuntarily. "What is it, Princess? Don't try to hide it, I can tell you're just pro-cat-stinating with your homework so it's the _purr_ fect time for me to drop in."

"I am most _paw-_ sitively not! And did you use two puns in one sentence? That's, like, illegal or something!" Chat laughed, a clear, short laugh that made Marinette's heart stop in its tracks. Nope, nope, nope. I am definitely not in love with Chat. I am definitely not in love with Chat.

"You're sure I'm not intruding or anything?" He said, looking at her hesitantly. "I wouldn't want to be a burden, or-"

"A burden?" Marinette laughed. "How could you be a burden? You save Paris on a weekly basis. I seriously doubt that you could be a burden. To any of us. Just think of it as paying you back for all the rescuing you did. Especially with the Evillustrator."

"You did a lot of the work there, as I recall, Marinette," Chat said, "I wouldn't be surprised if you became a superhero. You'd be a good one."

Marinette stiffened. There's no way he knew. He couldn't know. But maybe that was why he was here. Yeah...why would he visit her unless he knew her? He must have figured it out! _WhatdoIdowhatdoIdowhatdoIdowhatdoIdo..._

"Uhhhh..." Chat scratched his neck awkwardly. "You okay there, Princess? You look kind of...I don't know, startled. It was a compliment." Marinette stared blankly. "You know, a _compliment._ It's something nice you say to someone else, and when you receive a compliment, you typically say something the lines of 'Thank you'."

She laughed abruptly, ending her trail of thought. "Alright, then. Thank you, good sir, for the pleasantries we exchanged. It was quite splendid of you to say so. Really."

"Not like that!" Chat scolded. "Say it like a normal person."

"Why, Chat Noir, are you insinuating that I am _not_ normal?"

"Maybe..." Marinette huffed.

"I am curious, though," the bluenette said curiously. "Why did you choose to meet _me_? I mean, we met once or twice, but I don't really _know_ you, aside from what I read on the LadyBlog. Out of all the people in Paris..."

Chat blushed. "You're going to laugh."

"No, I'm not! Just tell me!"

"I was...kind of hoping...I could get one of your bakery's croissants." He put his head down in shame.

"WELL WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SO IN THE FIRST PLACE?"

Marinette dragged the cat downstairs and pulled out a bag from under the kitched counter. "This," she said, "Is all the bread that hasn't been sold this week. It's not bad, by most standards, but it isn't bakery fresh." She shoved the bag under Chat's nose. "We would have had to throw most of this out! You've gotta be more direct this time, and ask for what you want. Jeez!"

Chat sufficiently stuffed his face before they went upstairs and continued to goof around...until Marinette's alarm clock read 12:30 and she screeched. "What is it?" Chat asked.

"I've got a project to work on at school today. I already know I'm going to be late, but I'll be insanely late if I stay up! Oh, God, what is everyone going to think? It'll be my fault that we failed the project..."

"I'm sure it will all work out, Princess, but until then," He saluted, and dove out of the open window.

And even after he had gone, Marinette found her eyes drifting to the window, and couldn't help finding comfort in the smell of leather hanging in her bed.

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 **EEK! MariChat chapter here...**

 **Please leave a review and let me know what you think...**

 **Until then, *Salutes and falls off chair***

 **Bye!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys, it's ladynoirshipper with another chapter. I'm trying to update on a more frequent basis...and struggling...major writer's block. Hopefully you guys can understand. This chapter didn't have a particular direction, and what ensued was some major Nino x Alya romance. And as for the writer's block, I did write a piece on the side to try and combat it. Hopefully I can get over this and start uploading more regularly...Let me know what you think of the story by leaving a review. Enjoy the chapter :3**

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 **Chapter Four**

 **Adrien POV**

When he got to school, he couldn't wait to see her. He knew that she would be exhausted, but today, her exhaustion was because of him, and for that reason alone he was grinning like an idiot. Adrien had visited his classmate Marinette last night, because he was lonely, and hungry, and Nino wasn't available for visiting. I mean, he could always see Alya, but based on the way she talked about Paris's heroes, she'd be more interested in scoring an interview than actually comforting him and spending time with him.

That was what he needed. Someone who was willing to just be there. And who better than Marinette? Adrien didn't know the girl all too well, but it was at times when she stood up to Chloe, and ran for class rep, that he saw how much she really cared. About everyone, maybe even him.

And when Adrien found the courage to go pay her a visit, it was so easy to talk to her, which was strange considering how little he knew his classmate. But those hours spent talking to her in the quiet of night made him realize something. He _really_ did not know Marinette. Sure, as Adrien, they had carried on a few conversations, and he saw her around with Alya and Nino, but he had no idea how sassy and spunky she really was. Her attitude was about the size of his ego as Chat Noir, and he really admired that.

She could even handle _his jokes_.

"Hey, Adrien," Nino called out, "You okay dude? You, like, totally just spaced out on me,"

Adrien shook his head in an attempt to stop his train of thought. "Sorry, Nino," he said, rubbing the back of his neck, "I stayed up late last night."

"No problem, bro. Nothing different than usual," Nino started, but he didn't mention Adrien's habit of staying up late, " As I was _saying,_ when do you think we can get together today after school to take down this project?"

"Well, I've got fencing lessons at 3," Adrien said. _And patrol at 10,_ although he wasn't going to advertise his superhero schedule. He had a feeling Ladybug would _not_ appreciate it. "I have to be home by 9:45 though, home curfew." Nino would take the excuse well, knowing his father's strict guidelines on a much more personal level.

"Sounds good bro, maybe we could meet at 4?"

"Yeah!" Alya called out, marching into the room with a grumpy and _very tired looking_ Marinette on her arm. "4 sounds great. Right, Mari?"

"...unh..." The bluenette grumbled. "..five more minutes..."

"We're already at school, genius." Alya laughed at her friend's obvious pain. "Wake up already, class starts in 3 minutes."

Marinette looked up, panicked. "Oh no I'm gonna be late, I just-" she stopped herself. "Oh. I was gonna say, we need to get started on that project."

"Mme. Mendeleev is giving us some in-class time to work on it." Nino reminded them. " If we get started now we won't have nearly as much homework."

"If we divide the work up, I'm sure it will be an easy task!" Marinette said in excitement. "We split up the notes, I'll take care of the essay, and you guys decide how to work out the presentation."

"Nuh-uh," Adrien said,scolding Marinette. "You're not taking that whole essay on yourself. How about we work on it in teams? If everyone takes the notes we can split two and two with the presentation and the essay."

"That way everyone has a chance to work," Mari decided. "Nice thinking, Adrien."

Alya had that signature 'up to something' grin of hers on, and she flashed a devious smile towards Marinette. _Oh no, what is that sneaky reporter up to?_ "I'll partner up with Nino. We live really close together, so it naturally works better."

Meanwhile, Marinette had turned a bright shade of pink. It quite suited her, he thought. "Mari, you're good with being partners? Even though we're all collectively getting together to work on this, we might need to work on the finishing touches to our section."

The bluenette stuttered furiously. "O-okay...we'll take the, uh, the essay. Alya, c-can you and Nino work on the presentation?"

"Sounds good! Right, partner?"Alya elbowed her boyfriend, who affectionately nuzzled her.

"Let's get to work!" They all said excitedly.

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 _30 minutes into the project ~_

"What happened to that excitement we had? C'mon guys, let's get to work!" Alya groaned, complaining loudly to her group members.

Marinette was still face down in her seat, unresponsive. Adrien was barely holding on to his pencil, trying not to collapse in a heap like the girl beside him. They had moved next to each other in order to generate ideas for the essay. "Don't look at me," Nino said. "It's not _my_ fault the two of them are so tired. You know how they are, it's like second nature for them to pass out in the middle of class."

"Well, can they cut it out?" Alya mumbled, annoyed. "We need to get these notes done before the end of class!" A mysterious look appeared over her features, making Nino uneasy. "They do look rather cute like that though..."

"Just a sec-Nathalie-I'll be...right...there..." Adrien murmured softly before promptly falling onto the table.

When Alya was sure that her two friends were fast asleep, she shot a devious glance at Nino, who paled, thinking of what exactly that look could mean. Surely, lots of trouble. "Nino, these two look a little bit awkward. Slouching down like that is so unnatural."

"Should we push them a bit closer together, you think?" Nino guessed. He was starting to catch onto his girlfriend's drift of thought.  
( **A/N: I almost misspelled the word as "girlfiend", but that might be a bit more fitting for Alya xD** )

"Good job, babe, that was a great idea," Alya sassed, "Even if it was mine first,"

Those two were so lucky Chloe was absorbed in her mirror at the time their plan commenced. From the way Nino and Alya were shipping Adrinette, Chloe would have a field day complaining about "her Adrikins". But it would have been worth it, especially for Alya and Nino, who were surveying their work.

Adrien was slouched over the desk with his head in his arms, and Marinette was snuggled up next to him, seemingly enjoying the shared warmth from the crook of his elbow. Their chairs had been placed so close together, it looked as though they were on a bench rather than individual chairs.

Alya spent the next eight minutes snapping photos, videos, and ultimate evidence to tease Marinette for the next couple of weeks. Nino was afraid for his friend. _Poor Marinette,_ Nino thought sadly, _Even_ I _don't get this much teasing._ But that was just karma for choosing the she-devil as your best friend.

"Oh, come on Alya, you've got enough photos," Nino grumbled, "Can we _please_ work on the notes now?"

"Well," Alya sighed, "Since you've asked so politely...sure." She shot him a grin. "Gotta make up time for these sleepyheads, anyways," _That grin._ Nino might grumble about her crazy schemes, but damn it if she wasn't the cutest thing.

"Alright! Let's do it," he said half-heartedly, praying to whatever god was up there that the two would wake up before Chloe took another look. And also praying for the strength of Marinette's heart when she woke up from her little nap.

Amen to that, Nino.

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 **Ending on a cliffhanger...what will happen when Mari wakes up? :o**

 **Let me know what you thought of this chapter! I feel like some of the characters are OOC, if you have any suggestions, let me know.**

 **Yeah, this was Nino and Alya centric for the second half, but I hope y'all liked it anyways :3**

 **Thanks and have an awesome day (or night)!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A quick thanks to CrystalGremory for the great idea! It really helped with this chapter... Thanks for leaving a review :3**

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 **Chapter Five**

"Oh no," Alya murmured. "Queen Bee is here."

Nino looked up from his notes at Alya, barely following her train of thought as Chloe got up from her chair. His eyes widened. "Oh crap," he whispered. "If she sees Mari, we're screwed!"

Alya gave him a look that said, _Too late._ "We already are."

"MARINETTE! You'd better get up right now!"

Marinette stirred slightly, only to snuggle against Adrien again, unaware of the blonde girl who was currently throwing a hissy fit. "I'll be right there-Mama..." she said, convinced the warm surface she was sleeping on was her own bed. But thanks to a rude awakening, it seemed like she was becoming aware of her position. The first thing she noticed was the smell. It was a mix of cologne and mint, with traces of...leather? Not unpleasant in the least, and sort of familiar. Then the girl saw the soft blond hair growing on the arm she was rested on.

 _Blond hair? An arm? Wait, who am I sleeping on right now?_ She sat upright abruptly and bumped into Adrien, who then stirred awake. "A-Adrien! Oh my God, I am so sorry...I must have fallen asleep on you..." She lowered her head in shame. "This is so embarrassing..."

"Don't worry about it, Mari! No, really, I fell asleep too." He smiled a little at her. He got the feeling the two kids in front of him had something to do with their current position. Although he wouldn't lie, she was warm and surprisingly cozy. Not that he was...enjoying it or anything. At least not to the point where he would admit it. Probably.

"You're right, Marinette," Chloe spat rudely at Marinette, the girl just noticing her presence, along with Adrien. "You know I hate to agree with you, but maybe this one time you're right in being totally embarrassed. I'm sorry, too, Adrikins, for getting her drool all over you. I should have stopped her earlier. Ugh, you commoners think that you can just-"

" _Chloe,_ " Adrien growled, interrupting her little rant. He was getting pissed off, and more than usual. Marinette looked miserable and ashamed, and it was all Chloe's fault. If he could, he'd do anything to get her smiling again. It was a perfectly reasonable explanation and justification for what he did next. He pulled his classmate flush to his side and smirked at the blond girl. "For your information, it was a pleasure to cuddle with Marinette. If you would please leave us alone, we need to work on our project."

The bluenette sputtered, turning an even deeper shade of red at these words. Alya was clearly amused and chuckled, saying, "I believe you have the same project to work on, so why don't you help Sabrina out? God knows she needs the help."

"Ugh, you guys are _so_ annoying. Adrien, these rude _peasants_ seem to be rubbing off on you. You need to show them who's really in charge!"

"Chloe, chill. I _choose_ to hang out with these guys, you know."

"It's clear you're not happy, so snap out of it! These...these _imbeciles_ must be blackmailing you, or something!" Chloe grabbed Adrien's arm and tried to pull him up. "Don't worry, my daddy will take care of everything, so let's go! We can even go to lunch _early_ if you wanna come over..."

When Chloe gave a little wink, Adrien groaned, annoyed, and pried the girl's fingers off his arm. "Chloe, that's enough. Please, just leave me and my friends alone!"

"Fine." She said, coming to some sort of limit. "As long as you make it up to me later." She then stormed away, but not before giving Marinette her signature glare.

"Thank the heavens!" Nino cried. "I thought she'd never leave!"

Marinette and Alya cheered as well, but Adrien looked kind of down. "Adrien, are you alright?" Marinette asked, her concern outweighing her usual flustered character.

"It's just," Adrien sighed unhappily. "It's my fault Chloe picks on you guys so much. I had no clue how hard it would be just because we used to be friends. I mean, she's constantly bugging you guys just to get my attention, and I-"

"Oh, come _on_ Adrien!" Marinette said in exasperation, Adrien turning to face her curiously. "You're obviously not the only reason she bugs us. I mean, she's had it out for me since elementary school! Plus, it's not _your_ fault she's so frustrating."

Nino nodded his head. "That's true, dude. Chloe's hated Mari for the longest time. Actually, I think she hates everyone."

"Except for her _Adrikins,_ " Marinette smirked.

"Oh, shut it!" Adrien cried.

Alya joined in, "And it's not like she leaves everyone else alone, Adrien. She even picks on her _best friend_ , for God's sakes. She's caused most of the Akumas for that matter!"

Adrien huffed. "How is it that you guys always know how to make me feel better?" Marinette flushed pleasantly, and Adrien thought to himself that the cute shade of pink she blushed wasn't a bad color on her.

Alya and Nino were grinning at him, and he returned the gesture happily. "Now," Alya said. "Who's ready to finish up this history assignment?"

And, just like that, the entire mood dissolved into a deep depression. "Jeez, you're such a buzzkill Alya!" Marinette punched her best friend in the arm, struggling to reach from her distance, but still landing a soft blow.

Nino konked her on the head. "Way to kill the mood, bro."

Adrien laughed, and said, "You guys need a reality check. Class is almost over! You think these notes are gonna take themselves?"

"Thankfully, _someone_ finally takes my side." Alya pulled off Nino's hat just to ruffle his hair. "Bad boyfriend. Listen to your girl more often."

"Fine, just give me my hat!"

"I think I'll keep it..."

Their flirting and friendly banter continued until the bell rung, and the class scurried off to their next destination. "Don't forget to text me..." Adrien reminded his partner, who blushed, but still managed a sharp comeback.

"I think _I'm_ the one more worried. You sure you're gonna respond this time, Adrien?" She laughed. "Yes, I'll text you." She smiled, and it made Adrien's heart pulse uncomfortably in his chest. _What? Since when was_ this _a thing?_ And yet he knew he was eagerly awaiting the girl's text, or any sort of communication.

"Bye, Marinette!" He waved before stepping into the car, and the heat in his cheeks refused to fade until he arrived home.

* * *

 **So that was the newest chapter of my story...what do you think? Please leave a review telling me what you thought! I wanted to thank so many of you for following and favoriting this story, it's so encouraging to know people actually read this :)**

 **I'm trying to develop the whole MariChat setup of the story (Marinette likes Chat more and gets less nervous around Adrien, Adrien notices and starts to like Marinette more), but what I feel like I'm getting here is an Adrienette centered story, with the project thing and all. Oh well, it's still pretty cute.**

 **Thank you all and have an awesome day (or night!)**

 **~ladynoirshipper**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys, it's ladynoirshipper with another chapter! I just want to thank ALL of you for reading my story, reviewing, favoriting, and following... you guys have all been super supportive of my work and I love your feedback! We've made it to OVER 50 favorites and almost 100 followers! That's crazy.**

 **Speaking of feedback, what do you think of these longer chapters? I've been working to improve each chapter, and they just keep getting longer...let me know :3**

* * *

 **Chapter Six**

 **Mari POV**

The four of them had planned to meet up at Alya's house after school to work on their project together, but when Alya texted on the group chat, it was clear they needed a new place to study for the afternoon.

Alya had texted to the group chat about a half an hour before they were scheduled to work on the project. "I'm so sorry guys! My mom has to work late, and she doesn't want us at home without supervision..." She then sent a string of frowny faces, an apologetic gesture, but it ended up annoying her best friend, whose phone was exploding.

Mari tried to stop the spam by sending a message back. "How about we have it at my house? im sure my parents wouldn't mind, plus they love feeding you guys :3"

Adrien texted her then, "Are you sure they'd be okay with it? U should prolly ask first"

Of course Mari had to double check with her parents before letting someone over, but she already knew what they were going to say. "Mama! Papa!" she called, heading downstairs, phone in hand. "Some friends wanted to come over for a school project. Would it be all right if-?"

Tom interrupted her. "Honey, it's fine. We'd love some extra company. We won't be able to hang out with you since the bakery's schedule is pretty rough today." He ruffled her blue hair. "Next time we can all hang out and he a Mecha Strike 3 tournament like we were talking about."

Sabine chuckled at her husband's eagerness. "Oh, come on, Tom, they don't want any old guys like us hanging around. Right, Marinette?"

"It's not like that, Mom..." Mari protested.

"So you _do_ want to hang out with us then?"

"Mama! It's for a school project. We can't have you guys stuffing food in their faces the whole time." Mari laughed. "Not that they'd mind, of course, but we need to get it done as soon as possible."

"Hm, sure. Sounds like someone's just avoiding their papa's delicious pastries." Tom tickled his daughter a bit. "Afraid you'll eat them all before your friends get some?"

"NOOOO! Papa!" She ran towards the stairs. "I'm leaving!" she called out loudly.

* * *

Once the commotion with her parents had settled, she laid down on her bed and _formally_ invited everyone to her house, knowing all too well that they'd just barge in anyway. Alya would at least, and knowing her crazy schemes, the two boys would shamelessly follow her. It reminded her of a certain cat on her windowsill... _Nope._ Marinette stopped her train of thought right there. Why was it that she could never get him out of her head as of late? Those bright emerald eyes followed her everywhere, even when he wasn't in the room. Marinette could almost feel them now...she let out a harsh moan.

Tikki slipped out of the girl's bag. "Marinette, are you alright?"

"Yeah, Tikki. I'm fine. I'm not going to let that stupid cat distract me. I need to focus on the project and on Adrien! That's right. The project...for history." Marinette started rambling, about the project, and about Adrien, and something about a hamster?

"Uhh...Mari, you're pulling your hair out." Tikki noted quietly. And the little kwami was right. She had pulled her pigtails out in her own frustration. _Stupid, clumsy Marinette._ And her friends were coming over at any minute.

Speak of the devil (or _devils_ , if you prefer).

"Hide, Tikki!" Marinette whispered frantically, not even bothering to fix her hair.

"MARINETTE! MARE BEAR, IT'S SO GOOD TO SEE YOU!" Alya screamed, announcing her arrival rather blatantly. "I MISSED YOU GURL!"

"Sure you did, Alya. Now hurry up and get off of me before the others come in."

"Nope. Not letting go."

"For the love of God, Alya, Nino's gonna think you're cheating on him or something." This came from a new voice. The boy's grin stretched wide as he surfaced in the doorway of Marinette's room, but she could see the traces of a blush. Huh.

"Hi, Adrien," Marinette greeted shyly. "Did Alya let you in, or was it one of my parents? Sorry if they stuffed you or anything...I know it can be a bit of a bother, but-"

"Don't worry, Mari," he chuckled, patting his stomach. "I don't mind in the least."

"Oh, so they _did_ feed you."

"Not nearly enough."

"Enough to get you out of the kitchen."

Adrien laughed, looking almost surprised, but mostly amused. "Sharp tongue, princess. And here I thought I was the guest of honor."

She stopped right in her tracks. The way he called her _Princess_ like that, and his snide and clever remarks were just so _Chat_ that she lost herself for a moment. She had to regain herself quickly, before she was interrogated by her oh-so-helpful friends.

"Where's Nino, anyway?" The bluenette decided it would be best to change the subject, considering how flustered she got over that stupid cat. _Stupid cat. Stupid Marinette._ "He said he was on his way, like, ten minutes ago."

"Aw, you guys missed me, didn't you?" A new voice appeared from the hallway. "Well, it's good to hear, considering all the shit I got from my girlfriend-"

"-love you too, babe," Alya said, winking at Nino.

"Seriously, guys! Get a room! Jeez," Marinette screeched.

"Honestly, though," Adrien said, "We gotta get started on the project. Let's work in our respective groups and finish our sections so we can put them together for a final product. Marinette, do you have the outline we started?"

"By started, you mean 'just barely started', right?" Marinette said sarcastically. "I just need to make sure we're talking about the same, virtually incomplete one."

"Yup, that's the one." Adrien grinned at her.

"Oi, you two work too well. Now Nino and I have to finish our part of the project, don't we?" Alya groaned dejectedly.

"At least you get to spend time with your _favorite boyfriend~_ " Nino called out.

"Hush, child. I'm expecting you to write the information and let me format."

"You'll probably pick a font like Times New Roman! No way, Alya!"

"Yes, way, or you'll be my favorite _ex-_ boyfriend soon."

"No deal."

"Aw, come on, that one almost always works on you!"

Marinette and Adrien stopped their work for a second and yelled in unison, "GUYS! SERIOUSLY!" They looked at one another and Marinette giggled, seeing Adrien's cheeks bright red again. _What was that?_ She had to get to work, and get everything else out of her head. No more distractions...

She looked up at her cute classmate, and watched his blond brows furrow in concentration.

Well, maybe just the _one_ distraction could stay.

* * *

 **Adrien POV**

When he heard that Alya couldn't host the project at her house, he was really disappointed. He had been looking forward to the idea of going over to his classmate's house, possibly getting to meet Alya's parents, and just having fun playing around with three of his closest friends. He'd been thinking about it all week! After the text was sent, Adrien was convinced they wouldn't be able to get together, and would have to work on individual sections of the project...alone. He didn't even notice his phone vibrating like crazy with Alya's spam messages.

But then he looked down at his phone and saw that Mari had texted. "How about we have it at my house? im sure my parents wouldn't mind, plus they love feeding you guys :3" And it was like the heavens had opened. He thought of Tom and Sabine, who had insisted he call them that, in lieu of his typical "sir" and "ma'am". Of course, he hadn't been over to the bakery as often as he'd like to be.

And the food. Adrien started drooling at the mention of Mari's parents cooking something. ( **A/N: #letAdrieneat2k16** ) Maybe some buttery croissants, or fresh cookies. Oh, those crispy, sweet, chocolatey cookies that Marinette always had stocked in her room...

But he was most excited to just get _out_ of his house. Those cold walls, and the dreaded silence that accompanied them. He left the Agreste mansion all too eagerly, ditching the Gorilla in order to jog to his favorite bakery. Maybe the fresh air would tame his racing heartbeat and frazzled nerves. Since when was he this excited to see Marinette? He only felt like this while heading to patrols with his Lady.

Maybe that was it. All the excitement was getting to his head. Or maybe he was just excited to see his friends. Whatever the case, this adrenaline was giving him a euphoric rush like he felt in the suit, and he grinned like a madman.

"Yo, Adrien, over here!" Alya called lazily from her spot outside the bakery. She stood carelessly in front of the door with one hand on her hip and the other grasping her phone. "You ready to work on the project?" Adrien grabbed his bag over his shoulder and displayed the assortment of notes inside.

"Yeah. Let's get some work done tonight. So, do we just knock...?" He asked, eyeing the bakery's door.

Alya laughed. "Nah, it's fine. Not to brag, but I'm kind of a big deal around here." She flipped her hair dramatically and flashed Adrien a sharp grin. "Her parents won't mind if we barge in. After all, I do it all the time." _As do I,_ thought Adrien, laughing to himself. Alya hesitated for a second, curious as to what was so funny, before shrugging off his laugh. After all, it wasn't her fault she had a great sense of humor.

They headed upstairs to Mari's room. Alya rushed through the hatch and dramatically leaped onto her best friend, crushing her completely. A loud thudding sound could be heard from the floor above.

Alya and Mari started mumbling some nonsense, but Adrien didn't hear it. Any of it. He was too caught up in the fact that his classmate had her hair _down_ for once. The bright blue strands were slightly off, and one or two pieces stuck out from her head. And it pulled at his heart in the most terrifying and incredible ways. He finally found the chance to make a snarky comment about the incriminating position she was in with Alya, desperately trying to lighten the heavy feeling in his chest, but he couldn't take his eyes off of her.

 _Damn it,_ he thought, unable to stop the red flush that was creeping onto his cheeks. Her blue eyes pierced him completely, similar to the way a certain superhero's eyes would look on patrol nights. Eerily similar. In fact, he got the same strange quivering in his stomach after she looked at him like that.

He tried to shake it off, but he was pretty flustered, seeing his classmate's hair down. She was cute with those pigtails, but seeing her hair down and untamed like that made him want to run his fingers through it... _Stupid. Stupid thoughts. Stupid hair. Stupid cat..._ He needed to get his self-control in check before he did something even _more_ stupid.

It really was going to be a long night. But when Nino, Alya, and Marinette settled down with him to work on the project, he couldn't help but think this was the best way to live, surrounded by friends, and laughing and complaining over nothing. Marinette's hair was a distraction, but the way his heart fluttered was not unpleasant in the least.

* * *

 **So what do you think of the chapter? Was the whole 'two perspective thing' out of place? I had a little trouble writing Adrien's part, because I didn't want to copy and paste all of the dialogue, but I wanted to somehow keep them in the same time frame. The idea was to get his reaction in place.**

 **Thank you all again for reading, following, favoriting, reviewing... :D I really appreciate it, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Ladynoirshipper with another chapter! Thank you all for following and favoiting (over 100 followers!) To properly thank you, I updated. (wow good job) This one's more of a LadyNoir chapter with some sweet MariChat love...enjoy**

* * *

 **Chapter Seven**

 **Adrien POV**

Adrien didn't know what to think about his current situation, and so he turned to his greatest, oldest and wisest friend. Surely he would be able to offer some type of advice for the confused teen.

"What do you want, kid? This is nap time! Don't you remember? Jeez, what does a guy need to do to get some sleep around here?"

Well, then again, maybe not.

"Uhh...Plagg? I need some advice." He tentatively asked his kwami. "I'll let you sleep later, I swear!"

"Alright. Just this once, I'll let you benefit from my endless wisdom. What is it?" The black fairy laid down casually on Adrien's desk and started munching on the remnants of today's Camembert cheese. Although he always started the day with a hefty stash, the batch of cheese was pretty much gone by now. Incredible, considering the amount of food was much larger than Plagg himself.

"You know I love Ladybug, right?" Adrien started.

The kwami groaned. "Yes, because you never shut up about it!"

"Well...um...I think I might like someone else." He waited for something to happen, as if he'd triggered an explosion. And yet, no such explosion happened. Only an awkward silence before Plagg answered him.

"Kid...I don't get the problem here."

"I'm being unfaithful to my Lady, that's the problem, Plagg!"

"I really hate to break it to you, Adrien, but...you're not dating."

"But still. I've told her how I feel about her as Chat Noir, I can't just change that, can I?"

"Well, she's already rejected you, hasn't she? At least, she hasn't accepted your feelings."

"That's true, but I can't shake the thought that I'm-"

"Cut the crap, Adrien. Just figure out your feelings and then you can talk to Ladybug about it. End of story."

Adrien sighed and brushed his fingers through his hair in exasperation. "You don't get it. I have figured out my feelings. I...I really like…" he paused for a second, blushing heavily. "Marinette. My classmate."

"Then tell Ladybug about it. You guys are partners. I'm sure she would be happy for you, moving on and everything."

"You think so, Plagg? Wouldn't she be upset that I led her on, sort of?"

"You didn't lead her on. If she felt the same way and you disowned your feelings for her, then that's a different story."

"But...she won't be mad or anything?" The blonde sighed. "I don't want to lose her as a friend, either. I mean, Ladybug is important to me, even if isn't romantically."

"I've got a thousand years of wisdom in me, kid. Don't underestimate a kwami. And you know, you're probably just as important to her. That's how it is with most Ladybugs and Chats in the past."

"You know…" Adrien's voice trailed off.

"C'mon, speak up."

"That was actually...kind of, almost...helpful."

"Tch, I'm just helping you for some extra cheese and some uninterrupted nap time." And although the fairy acted cold, Adrien saw his eyes soften a bit.

"Thanks." He smiled. "Extra Camembert this week."

The cold hearted kwami lit up at this. "Alright, starting now! Adrien, fetch me your finest cheese."

"Ugh, already?" The blond boy growled, put into a sour mood again, thanks to a certain kwami. "Plagg, Natalie will be suspicious if I go down to the kitchen right after dinner."

"You promised, Adrien…"

"Oh, fine. Way to exploit your source of food by using emotional tactics. Well played."

Plagg just grinned devilishly at that.

* * *

A few hours later, and Adrien still couldn't shake off his nerves. This is no big deal, Adrien. You've faced countless deadly akumas, how much worse could this be?

But he knew the situation he was facing could be much, much worse. His talk with Ladybug could have him pegged as a liar, a player, or much worse. He knew firsthand how much his Lady and best friend hated posers. The way she lashed out at Lila was enough to send a cold feeling into his stomach. Dread.

It wasn't like he had lied, though, he defended. After all, his feelings for Marinette had only surfaced recently. And before that, he only had eyes for Ladybug. As soon as he recognized his change in heart, he was trying to tell her. That was honesty, right?

But, despite his obvious innocence, he couldn't help but fear the loss of his great friendship with Ladybug. It was always hard for him to make new friends, but when the two were together, they worked so well. Ladybug was one of the few people he could trust with his life. To lose his friend and only partner would be heartbreaking (although not in the romantic sense, not anymore).

The only other true friends he'd had were Nino, Alya, and Marinette, three people who had approached him to become friends. Making new friends and approaching them was difficult. Adrien promised himself he wouldn't let this one slip away.

With that, he extended his staff and raced off to the normal rendezvous point. Ladybug was early, and she was staring off at the Eiffel Tower like it held some unimaginable secret and she was trying to figure it out.

"Uh...Bugaboo?" He called out hesitantly, jerking her out of her thoughtful state. Was it just his imagination, or was she blushing? Weird.

"Hey, Chat. Good to see you today. Um, which rounds are we doing today?"

"I thought I'd take care of North, and you could take the South district today. Sound good?"

"Yeah, that's alright. I could always use a change in scenery." Her smile was bright at this.

"And, I..um, I need to talk to you about something after we finish patrolling, do you mind meeting back here after you finish?"

The girl looked puzzled, but nodded in affirmation. "Sure thing, Chat. I'll see you in a bit."

~after patrol~

When Adrien arrived at their spot, the bluenette was waiting patiently for him, on time as usual. "So, Chat," she spoke first, "What was it you wanted to talk to me about?" Her voice was a little shaky and unsure, as if she was concerned about something. He was surprised she was so direct about this. It made him wonder if she had been thinking about it as much as he had.

"Oh, God, this is harder than I thought it would be." He scratched the back of his neck. "Um, well, as long as we have been partners...I've had a bit of a crush on you. I'm not sure if you noticed or not. You must have, with the constant flirting, and..."

"Chat, I-"

"Wait, my Lady. Let me finish first. I'm sorry if I'm leading you on a bit, but recently I've learned that I have feelings for someone else. And, I wanted to let you know, because we're partners, and because I want you to understand that there's nothing wrong. It's just going to be a little different. I won't flirt with you, or try to catch your attention, because I don't think it's fair." A pause. "I hope we can figure this out…."

He waited patiently for her to respond, praying to any god he could think of that things were okay. But from the way she stood tense, her head down and her face unreadable, he thought those prayers might be in vain.

After several long moments, his Lady looked up with a small, weak smile, and said softly, "It's alright, Chat. I hope you can make her happy."

"Ladybug, are you-"

"A-anyways, I'm going to be late if I don't get home soon." He tried to stop her to figure out why she was acting so odd, but she had already started to swing off. "I'll see you soon Chat-" and what she said next was lost in the wind.

Adrien quickly detransformed in a small, dark alley, hoping to talk to his kwami about the night's events. "Plagg, I don't think that went well. Did you see how she reacted?"

"You can say that again, kid. She was definitely acting strange...I just don't get why she's so upset."

"Me either. I hope I haven't lost her as a friend-" the thought disappeared into the darkness of the night as he headed home, Plagg re-entering the ring and using cat-vision to find his way to the cold and empty Agreste mansion.

But however things ended up with Ladybug, he could at least see Marinette tomorrow in school. The thought of her was like the sunrise, a bright and beautiful spot in the dark cloud of confusion and fear he was facing.

Yep, he _definitely_ liked Marinette.

* * *

 **Oooh! MariChat this chapter :) but we'll see how Mari reacts in the next chapter.**

 **Let me know what you thought of this...I really love your feedback. I'm working on chapter eight now, and things are sort of starting to fit together (I hope)**

 **Thank you all so much for reading :D have an awesome day**

 **~Ladynoirshipper**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

 **Marinette POV**

This was _not_ good.

Marinette swung through the streets of Paris as Ladybug. This was right after her encounter with her partner, Chat, and her heart was pounding uncontrollably. The air around her was inexplicably hot and suffocating. Everything seemed to be falling out of place, the world closing in around her. The girl landed softly on a rooftop above a small little hat shop. She recognized the shop for its bright designs, something that had caught her eye before. The memory brought forth a vivid contrast to the chaos swirling around her.

 _Okay. Calm down. You can do this._ She tried to slow down the burning pain in her chest, but after a few moments, she gave in. She fell to the floor on her knees as tears flowed out. She shook with sobs, hoping that he couldn't hear her. Curse those prying cat ears of his. The events of their patrol replayed in her mind.

 _'I've learned that I have feelings for someone else...'_

Someone else. Someone else had stolen his heart. And hers felt like it was breaking. All along he had been there for her, standing beside her, and she just wanted him back, exactly the way he was.

 _'It's just going to be a little different. I won't flirt with you, or try to catch your attention...'_

God, his flirting. Marinette would miss his flirting most of all. The way he would throw her a sly wink, or call her beautiful when he saw her late at night...

The tears kept flowing. How was she supposed to move on when she had just fallen for him? And yet, guilt strained against her, thinking of Adrien as well. Is it possible to love two people at once? Was she two-timing both of them? No, that's right. She couldn't be two-timing them if she wasn't _with_ either of them.

And how could she be with either of them? She was awkward around Adrien, and he was afraid to be around her. She was overconfident and under appreciative of Chat, and he fell in love with someone else. It was almost like...no matter who she was, Marinette or Ladybug, she was destined to be alone.

The pain of heartbreak and the shame eating away at her insides was getting too much for her.

As her salty tears dripped down onto the concrete of the building, Marinette saw a faint purple glow illuminate the area around her. _What..._

Realization hit her like a ton of bricks. " _No_." She couldn't let this happen, not now, not after all this time...

"Ha, well, if it isn't Ladybug." A deep voice echoed in the depths of her mind. She knew that voice far too well. "You might remember me; I am Hawkmoth. If you manage to capture Chat Noir's miraculous, and give me your own, I can help cure your broken heart."

Marinette's breath caught in her chest. She wasn't ready to be akumatized. Not yet. She had to protect her city. "NO!" She screamed. Her heart was crying out from the pain, but... _she had to hold it in._ "I WON'T LET YOU!" She tried to run and jump and swing across the city, to find help. To get away from the dark butterfly rapidly approaching her.

"You think you can resist the power of my akumas, Ladybug?" Hawkmoth hummed in her ear. "You are weak to the strength of your own emotions. There is a part of you that will give in. It's only a matter of time."

 _'That's right,'_ a voice in her head whispered evilly. ' _Why are you running away? He can take away your pain...'_ Marinette knew this was not her own thought. And yet, she was having trouble running and finding the energy to fight back. Her heart was still aching, and it would be so easy to just...

The dark butterfly had caught up to her in her moment of hesitation, and entered her through the yo-yo in her hand. She fell completely to the ground in an instant. Then Hawkmoth's voice rang loud and clear in her hea _d. 'Well, if it isn't Ladybug, my new partner in crime. Welcome to my team.'_

"I don't care about your stupid miraculous hunt." Ladybug said, her red and black suit transforming as she spoke. "But mark my words, I'll make sure no one has to fall in love again."

 **A/N: apologies for the cliche akuma :/ I just need to advance the plot and don't have good ideas lol**

"So, then, Heart Breaker, be off!" Hawkmoth exclaimed. She could hear his staff tapping, clicking against some kind of a hard floor. It was getting on her nerves.

"Shut up, old man," she said in a dark voice. "Get out of my head, you idiot. I've got a job to do."

With that Marinette leapt off the edge of the building, her new, darker suit accommodating her needs. She had a new, sleek black yo-yo, and no spots anywhere to be seen. It was a nice suit, but it made a familiar pain tinge in her heart. It reminded her too much of another suit.

Wait, what? It was like her mind was wandering towards something important. Something she had to remember...what was it that was bothering her, and why couldn't she get that pain out of her chest? It was like she couldn't remember anything...

Whatever. It was probably something stupid. She'd just have to take care of it later. For now, she was going to take down the pathetic air of romance in "the city of love". She was really doing Paris a favor by getting rid of those pesky couples. It was all for the sake of the people, after all.

Because maybe that way...no one else would feel as heartbroken as she did then.

* * *

 **First of all, I would like to thank you for reading the chapter. I'd appreciate feedback (I love reading your reviews!)**

 **I also want to apologize. School has been crazy lately. I'm gonna try and update both of my continuing stories this schoolyear, but be warned. I can only work on weekends. This means less time to edit my stories (probably lower quality chapters as well) and less frequent updates. I'd still appreciate follows and reviews. It makes me all warm and fuzzy to think you guys actually read these :3**

 **I hope you can all understand crazy scheduling. I'll update when I can, but I'm apologizing in advance for all kinds of late chapters**

 **Hope you enjoyed. Thanks so much! ~ladynoirshipper**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

 **Adrien POV**

Later that night, when he went looking for Ladybug, she was nowhere to be found. He reluctantly retired for the night on patrol, and detransformed in his room with much displeasure. "Oh, Plagg," he groaned. "Did I just screw everything up?"

The kwami was silent for a few moments, then finally decided what to tell Adrien. He was most likely looking for a way to resolve the conflict, but to no avail. "We'll figure things out later, Adrien. You've got school tomorrow, don't you? Sleep on it, and we can talk more about this later."

School was tomorrow. That was right. Tomorrow was Friday, the last day he, Nino, Alya, and Marinette would be working on their project together before the presentation on Monday. Adrien's mood brightened at the thought of seeing Marinette again, but it all pulled back to Ladybug.

What had he done to upset her? And...was she going to be okay?

"Alright, Plagg." The blond boy whispered. "You get some sleep, too," He closed his eyes and begged for a good rest. The sooner he fell asleep, the sooner he could stop thinking about his Lady, and what could have possibly happened to her.

Sleep was no true salvation to Adrien's prayers. Even when he fell asleep, he dreamed of Ladybug, lost in a dark tunnel, looking for him. "Chat!" She called out. When he looked closer at her, he saw tear stains trailing down her cheeks. "CHAT! WHERE ARE YOU?" She screamed.

Adrien tried to reach out to her, but there was a thick wall, made out of glass. He pounded the glass, calling out to her, trying to get her attention. "I' m right here,"he tried to say, but she was so lost she couldn't hear a thing, and the wall was too thick...

"CATACLYSM!" Adrien yelled out in rage. He swiped his claws against the glass. It finally shattered, and he could reach his Lady...but what he found, in her stead, was Hawkmoth. A twisted grin on his face. Marinette was slumped down beside him. "M-marinette?" His attention turned back to the supervillain standing above her. "Hawkmoth! Get away from her! I'll kill you if you even touch her!"

The man just laughed, a purple glow emanating from the entire area around them. "Chat Noir, you are one silly kitty." His eyes flashed, dark grey like powerful storm clouds looming above him. "Don't you see? You've run out of time..." Adrien looked down at his ring and saw it blinking. A flash of light, and he woke up in bed, terrified and confused.

"Adrien, breathe." Plagg was calling for him out of his daze. The blond boy had just woken from his nightmare, blinking the haze from his eyes. He was beginning to regain consciousness, but he was startled by the fact that the dream had seemed so...real. "Are you alright?" the kwami asked, after a few long moments.

"I...I think so," Adrien said softly. "But she won't get out of my head."

"Which one?" Plagg taunted. "You've got two girls on your mind, don't you...?"

"Ugh, I just don't know anymore! In my dream, she-Ladybug, she was there...and then she wasn't, and there's Marinette in her place. But, I don't want to lose Ladybug _for_ Marinette..."

Plagg looked a bit confused at this. "Weren't you the one who said you wanted to remain faithful to Marinette? You can't go on about managing and then decide you want both girls, Adrien."

"Gaahh! That's not what I meant, Plagg!" Adrien sighed exasperatedly. "I don't want to lose Ladybug as a friend and partner if I get involved with Marinette romantically."

"Still confused." Plagg said. "So why would you have to choose between the two, exactly? I got lost somewhere around the word 'cheese'."

"I didn't say cheese, Plagg. You're the one constantly talking about that."

"Oh, yeah, my bad kid. It's not my fault you smell like Camembert. I was probably thinking about it because of that..."

"OF COURSE ITS YOUR FAULT I SMELL LIKE THIS YA STUPID CAT!"

"Oh, quiet Adrien. You don't want all of Paris to hear you talking to yourself, do you now?" The kwami was pushing Adrien's buttons, knowing well that it would trigger this kind of reaction, but also hoping it would also distract him from his nightmare.

"Plagg..." Adrien started. Plagg was caught off guard by the sudden softness of his holder's voice. "Can we just drop it? Please?" he whispered, so softly that he almost missed it. The boy cleared his throat. "I'm not sure I'm ready to talk about it yet."

The kwami was surprised the boy cared so deeply about a single dream. Usually, dreams wouldn't affect him as a kwami, so it was hard to relate. But would it be too much to even discuss? Humans were hard to understand. If Plagg had learned anything over the years, it was that. "Kid, if you're not ready, don't feel pressured to tell me anything. Now, get yourself ready before you're late. Weren't you excited to see Marinette today?"

Adrien's cheeks flushed at the thought of seeing his crush again. He nodded enthusiastically and headed downstairs for breakfast.

 _Time skip to school_

Nino, Adrien, and Alya were all seated together in the classroom, preparing the materials for their project. Marinette still hadn't arrived.

"Do you think something happened?" Alya asked worriedly. It was incredible, Adrien thought, to see her personality change so drastically without the presence of her best friend there. This was the point at which Alya would be relentlessly teasing her boyfriend, and yet she managed to stay quiet, reserved and _worried_ above all else.

"Don't worry, Alya," Nino said in an attempt to comfort her. "I'm sure she's just running late."

"Late? Nino, it's been a half an hour since class started. If she was late, or slept in, she'd be here by now." Alya was starting to look desperate. "Marinette is a bit of a klutz, but she's always reliable. Aside from her tardiness, do you remember a single day she wasn't at school?"

"Alya's right," Adrien chimed in. "Unless something happened, Marinette would be here. I mean, she takes her duties as class representative pretty seriously. She wouldn't miss school for anything minor."

"You guys are overreacting!" Nino fumed. He was getting caught up now in the frustration and worry that both Alya and Adrien were generating. "She's probably sick and doesn't want to take it to school. Marinette's a tough girl. She can take care of herself."

"Sick?" Adrien countered Nino. "She wasn't sick at all yesterday. How much could her health have declined to keep her from school today? She wouldn't leave school for a simple head cold. Who knows how tragic her illness could be at this point?!"

Alya let out a soft wail. "Marinette...how will we ever make it up to you?"

"You guys are so dramatic. God!" Nino said in exasperation. In truth, he was a bit worried too, but those too wouldn't know where to stop. "She already has one mother, she doesn't need two more."

"She might not need us..." Alya said. "But she's got us." Adrien nodded enthusiastically and gave her a fist bump. It was nice that they were all energetic but he knew it was only a matter of time before they had to start working on the project.

* * *

 _After school ~_

Adrien started heading back home, still a bit disappointed that he hadn't seen Marinette that day. How was he going to approach her when he saw her next? If he got a bit flustered just while thinking about her, how would he approach her?

Well, he'd deal with that problem when he got to it. No use in worrying over something he couldn't control. He went back to thinking, when he got home, maybe he could take a quick nap and go for a jog around Paris (as Chat Noir of course). His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a loud scream from across the street.

"Well," he said aloud. "Naptime's going to have to wait." He found the nearest tree and transformed behind it. There was no one there on the street to see him, after all. Once he was suited up, he felt a lot better. He extended his staff, rushing in the direction he heard the noise.

There it was, a group of civilians, staring up at him, terrified. He couldn't see anything out of place. Why were they looking in his direction? He looked down, there didn't seem to be anything wrong-

A familiar voice called out from behind him. "Over here, kitty." Chat froze. Was that...Ladybug's voice? What was it doing here? Behind...him?

He was stunned and terrified to see his partner in crime, suited up and ready, her suit in all black without her normal spots. "M-my Lady?"

"Do me a favor, Chat Noir," the girl said in a voice full of contempt, "And don't call me that." Her yo-yo pulled out, and she swung it around dangerously. "You can call me Heart Breaker to start. And I'll be taking your miraculous."

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you all for reading this chapter! I wanted to include a little bit more, but I think I'll add the akuma battle into the next chapter. Let me know what you thought of this one by leaving a review, I love to hear your feedback! Also, if you have any ideas as to where you want the story to go from here, it would help me out a lot. :) Thank you all again, and have a wonderful day! ~ladynoirshipper**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

 **Adrien POV**

Here she was. Her grasp was terrifyingly steady, holding her immortal yo-yo string without a trace of hesitance. She looked angry, which to him, was a sight he rarely saw. Except of course, for the occasional frustration when she was annoyed with him. But anger of this magnitude was a strange way to see the girl, who was usually kind, happy, and able to think logically in tough situations.

Worse for him to see, though, were the thin tear stains on her cheeks, and the undeniable redness of her eyes. She looked more in pain than ready to inflict it upon others. He couldn't imagine what could have possibly akumatized her, to have caused her that much pain-

But what was most important was that he found a way to save her, and quickly. He took a moment to think rationally, or at least try to. _What would Ladybug do?_ Well, first, he needed to get the threat away from the crowd of civilians about to get sliced open by her sharp weapon.

She was clearly after him and his miraculous. The fight was between the two of them rather than the civilians below. The less citizens involved, the better. Chat hopped his way over to the back side of an old church, finding an empty parking lot. It was a cold Friday afternoon, no wonder it would be deserted at this time in the day.

Ladybug-no, the _akumatized_ Ladybug now-chased him without a moment's hesitation. Again, Chat wondered why it was him she was really after. And why did her eyes look so haunted?

He needed a plan. How was he going to purify an akuma when his Lady was the only one with that power? Was there some way he would be able to...? No. It was much too late for that. He couldn't exactly detransform and ask Plagg for help, much less a brand new set of powers. It was much too late for that, and he didn't even have any camembert on him!

Was it hopeless? How was he going to save his Lady at this rate?

That was when a small voice came out from behind him, from Ladybug's general direction. It was a small, red creature with spots, and it looked about the size of Plagg. "Chat Noir? Is that you?" The bug-like creature said.

"Yes, and who are you?" Chat asked suspiciously. The two of them ducked back into a corner, hiding themselves from view before they heard the tap of the girl's feet on the asphalt behind them. They spoke in hushed voices, sure not to alert her of their presence.

"I'm Tikki. I'm Ma-I mean, Ladybug's kwami. Has Plagg explained kwami magic to you yet?"

"So you know Plagg..." Chat said, thinking aloud. "Are you the one who gives Ladybug her powers?" The kwami nodded. "Do you know how she...was akumatized? Is there any way to help her?"

"I don't know much," the kwami confessed, looking a bit guilty. "She was on patrol, and all of a sudden, I was pushed out of the suit. Hawkmoth's negatively powered akuma had pushed away all of the positive energy in her body...I guess that would include me too."

"So she's been overtaken by negative energy, and we have no idea what caused it?"

"Exactly." Tikki grimaced, but she still looked confidently at the situation. "It doesn't seem very promising, but we have to save Ladybug!"

Knowing that Tikki probably knew more about the miraculous than he did, he asked, "Tikki...how are we going to purify this thing? I don't have the same powers that Ladybug does...is there no way I can save her?"

"Chat Noir, you trust your partner, don't you?"

"Of course I do!" The boy said, taken aback. "What makes you think otherwise?"

"You just need to stay calm. And trust in Ladybug's strength. Once the akuma leaves her, she can quickly transform and purify it herself. Your job is to make sure not to hurt her, and to get rid of that akuma."

"It doesn't look like it's in her earrings," Chat observed. "Maybe... The yo-yo?"

"Go for it, Chat Noir." Tikki cheered encouragingly.

The boy stepped out from his hiding spot, ready to face his partner. He _had_ to save her, at all odds. He couldn't let her destroy what she cared about, and he wouldn't let her lose herself to Hawkmoth, that bastard.

"My, my, Chat Noir," Ladybug snarled, her voice laced with venom. "You've been hiding for so long, I was starting to lose patience."

Chat readied himself, and extended his staff, swinging it in the direction of her body. _This isn't Ladybug, not really. She's not herself._ And still, the swing he took at her was half-hearted, and Ladybug easily stopped it with her hand. She pushed the staff down, and (thanks to her incredible Ladybug strength) he fell to the ground with it. _Hard._

He quickly got up, and retracted his weapon. "Kitty, still want to play? You'll hurt yourself if you push too hard." She taunted him. He didn't return any of the remarks, opting to go head on, and push through her space to retrieve the akuma.

"Not so fast, Chat," she said, pulling the yo-yo from her belt and swinging it around in a defensive barrier. The string moved so fast, it sliced his skin, leaving a long, jagged scar across his cheek. He almost groaned, thinking of what his father would say at the sight of it.

"My Lady... _please._ " he begged her. "Just let me help you."

Some part of her froze in that instant, looking at his desperate face, and the yo-yo slowed down, if only a little. Chat didn't miss that small second of a chance, and grabbed the end of the yo-yo, pulling it in towards him. He had a grasp on it now!

Her face once again turned cold, and she tried to yank the string back towards herself. The determined grip he held on her weapon prevented her from getting it back. All that it did was knock him hard against the ground. He could already feel the bruises forming on his chest, and a sharp, anguishing pain erupted throughout his entire body.

Chat was shaking at this point, barely holding on to his strength. He simply whispered " _Cataclysm"_ and watched the black magic energy destroy the yo-yo in his hands. Ladybug dropped it like it was on fire, and then the small, purple butterfly left the scene, untouched.

The boy looked up briefly, to see if his Lady was okay, and that's when he saw Marinette in her place.

 _Mari...nette?_

He was going to collapse in a few moments. The world around him was already spinning, his mind blank except the feeling of pain, and _Marinette. Marinette._ It was her, it was her all along, and it was too much to process, and the pain was _overwhelming_ , and...

He could faintly hear a familiar voice, "Bye, bye little butterfly" and something that sounded a bit like his name, but black had already overtaken his vision. He was beyond reach now. _Marinette...is okay._ He reassured himself, and lost consciousness then and there.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you all for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Identities have now been revealed, and I'm not quite sure how I'm going to finish this, but if you have any suggestions, leave a review or PM me! I am always up for ideas :)**

 **The story might run a few more chapters, but it should be ending soon. Thank you to everyone who has stuck with this story, I'm so glad that so many of you read this! It means a lot, so thank you all.**


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